Confederation of South African Workers' Unions explained

CONSAWU
Location Country:	South Africa
Affiliation:	ITUC
Members:	290 000
Full Name:	Confederation of South African Workers' Unions
Founded:	2003
Headquarters:	21 Adriana Crescent, Gateway Industrial Park, Rooihuiskraal X25, Centurion, South Africa
Key People:	Mr. Joel Mfingwana, President Mrs. Thelma Louw, Deputy President Mr. Monde Mkele, 1st Vice President Mr. Piet Du Plooy, 2nd Vice President Mr. Thulani Hlatshwayo, National Treasurer Mrs. Hilda Marima, Equity Office Bearer Mr. Rodney Damon, Sector Office Bearer Mr. Khulile Nkushubana, General Secretary
Website:	http://consawu.co.za/

The Confederation of South African Workers' Unions (CONSAWU) is a national trade union centre in South Africa.

History

The federation was established in 2003 by 21 trade unions which identified themselves as Christian democratic. It applied for membership of the government's National Economic Development and Labour Council, but it was rejected for having a membership below 300,000. In 2006, it engaged in discussions about a merger with rivals the Federation of Unions of South Africa and the National Council of Trade Unions, although they later excluded CONSAWU from the talks, on the grounds that it was too right-wing.^[1]

By 2008, the federation claimed a total of 290,000 members, of whom nearly half were members of its largest affiliate, Solidarity. It affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. It was largely inactive by 2017, but attempted to revive itself with a promise of lower affiliation fees than rival federations.^[2] Solidarity has since withdrawn, along with the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers, formerly its second-largest affiliate.^[3]

Affiliates

Current affiliates

• Brick and General Workers' Union (BGWU)
• Building, Wood and Allied Workers' Union of South Africa (BWAWUSA)
• Building Workers' Union (BWU)
• Care Centre, Catering, Retail and Allied Workers' Union of South Africa (CCRAWUSA)
• Commercial Workers' Union of South Africa (CUSA)
• Federal Council of Retail and Allied Workers (FEDCRAW)
• Food, Cleaning and Security Workers' Union (FOCSWU)
• Mine, Engineering and Distributor Workers Union of South Africa (MEDWUSA)
• National Certified Fishing and Allied Workers' Union (NACFAWU)
• National Construction Building and Allied Workers' Union (NACBAWU)
• National Union of Education (NUE)
• National Union of Hotel, Restaurant Catering, Commercial Health and Allied Workers (NUHRCCHAW)
• Professional Educators' Union (PEU)
• Progressive General Employees Association of SA (PGEASA)
• South African Building and Allied Workers' Organization (SABAWO)
• South African Food, Retail and Agricultural Workers' Union (SAFRAWU)
• Trawler and Line Fishermen's Union (TALFU)
• Transport Action, Retail and General Workers' Union (THOR)
• Westcoast Workers' Union (WWU)

Former affiliates

• National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW)
• Solidarity

See also

• Trade unions in South Africa

External links

• CONSAWU website

References

1. Web site: An Overview of Women's Work and Employment in South Africa . ITUC . Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies . 28 April 2021.
2. News: Disorganised labour: Stumbling Cosatu a shadow of what it used to be . 28 April 2021 . Biz News . 14 August 2017.
3. Book: Blackburn . Daniel . Trade Unions of the World . 2021 . ICTUR . 25 March 2021.

• Book: 2005 . Trade Unions of the World . ICTUR . International Centre for Trade Union Rights . etal . 6th . John Harper Publishing . London, UK . 0-9543811-5-7.